Glad you had a good vacation, Carole. BTW, I saw on the St. Benedict calendar that the Freshman Volleyball team plays White Station on 8/22 at home. That's Corinne's team, right? We'll plan to be there if that's the case. Let me know.
Headed to KY lake (only two hours to the part we're going to) with our friend Genie and family this afternoon returning Sunday. Then I plant to drive to my Mom's with the boys on Monday. My brother and his wife will be there. I considered making Jim drive back with our friends on Sunday and just heading to Indy from there, but I think it will be too complicated. What's another 2 hours on the road anyway? The van just turned 350,000 miles. Go Dodge!!
Jim wants to go to CA before school starts. Once I get back from my Mom's it may be a possibility. Fed Ex employees get major discounted airfare with Delta and Air Trans (American once you've been there longer). We had forgotten about that. You do have to fly stand by though. The travel agent said it may take two days since there are four of us, but she was confident we would get there (and back). Jim thinks it sounds like an adventure. If I can just tone down my control freak personality, it would be fun.
Off to clean the pool and go to the grocery to stock up for the weekend. Enjoy!!
Brenda
Friday, July 27, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
checking in
hi again,
we are back!!
a driving marathon it was. charleston/jekyll island/navarre beach.
we left on friday the 13th...true to its name...it STORMED on the way to atlanta, so we stopped
outside birmingham.
saturday we finally made it to charleston. Lots of history and LOTS of walking, despite the fact that they have a free trolley system in the old sections.
we ate seafood...not superior like N.O.,la but pretty good.
we visited the Yorktown carrier, Fort Sumpter, Magnolia plantation ( it has a swamp with many many alligators. Keith took K and C to the aquarium while I went to a museum.
The last day we took a walking tour ( we were his only clients that afternoon!!)
got to see and old theatre that had been a hotel, and a REALLY old church.
beautiful wood and tiffany glass.
Corinne and I found time to get some shopping in too.
jekyll island was hot and had many mosquitoes waiting for us.
another private tour of a wooded area .this guy had props...maps and animal specimens as show and tell. Next on to the turtle preserve/hospital. Then on to the water park...we were there ~2 hrs and had to evac due to a water spout over the bay/marsh area.
we dressed and drove on to Navarre beach by way of Jacksonville.
we stopped to eat dinner at a hole in the wall. GREAT fried shrimp...20-25 huge shrimp on the two platters.
navarre was relaxing...sand and more sand.
Keith went fishing...caught a sunburn.
we got back home sunday night.
We all had our moments, but on the whole we enjoyed the trip.
Corinne has volleyball each morning then choir camp.
kevin goes to choir camp 1/2 day
next week is their last hurrah then AUG 6th is school.
sad that it has passed so fast.
Julie I am so sorry for your friend and the family.
I also am assuming thane has a new job/territory.
Glad you are able to stay near Dartmouth for Belle.
r u working or not?
Brenda we too are feeling out of touch with family.Our big Italian family spent EVERY weekend with my mom's family on sat and dad's family on sunday when i was growing up.
I am rather envious of my mom's brother's kids...they see each other several times a week, go to church together and their kids go to school together!!...even better Keith has a brother in the same town and HIS children see my cousins' kids at school and church.
Keith's nephew went to a prom with my cousins' daughter.
my dad's family goes to church and school with this crowd!!
my kids are missing out on a lot of family time.
That was one of the reasons we went to florida during this trip.
Keith's brother was already there and his sisters and dad and other brother planned to be there.
A big thankyou to cari for watching the Lizard and going to get
more crickets!!
goodnight
c
we are back!!
a driving marathon it was. charleston/jekyll island/navarre beach.
we left on friday the 13th...true to its name...it STORMED on the way to atlanta, so we stopped
outside birmingham.
saturday we finally made it to charleston. Lots of history and LOTS of walking, despite the fact that they have a free trolley system in the old sections.
we ate seafood...not superior like N.O.,la but pretty good.
we visited the Yorktown carrier, Fort Sumpter, Magnolia plantation ( it has a swamp with many many alligators. Keith took K and C to the aquarium while I went to a museum.
The last day we took a walking tour ( we were his only clients that afternoon!!)
got to see and old theatre that had been a hotel, and a REALLY old church.
beautiful wood and tiffany glass.
Corinne and I found time to get some shopping in too.
jekyll island was hot and had many mosquitoes waiting for us.
another private tour of a wooded area .this guy had props...maps and animal specimens as show and tell. Next on to the turtle preserve/hospital. Then on to the water park...we were there ~2 hrs and had to evac due to a water spout over the bay/marsh area.
we dressed and drove on to Navarre beach by way of Jacksonville.
we stopped to eat dinner at a hole in the wall. GREAT fried shrimp...20-25 huge shrimp on the two platters.
navarre was relaxing...sand and more sand.
Keith went fishing...caught a sunburn.
we got back home sunday night.
We all had our moments, but on the whole we enjoyed the trip.
Corinne has volleyball each morning then choir camp.
kevin goes to choir camp 1/2 day
next week is their last hurrah then AUG 6th is school.
sad that it has passed so fast.
Julie I am so sorry for your friend and the family.
I also am assuming thane has a new job/territory.
Glad you are able to stay near Dartmouth for Belle.
r u working or not?
Brenda we too are feeling out of touch with family.Our big Italian family spent EVERY weekend with my mom's family on sat and dad's family on sunday when i was growing up.
I am rather envious of my mom's brother's kids...they see each other several times a week, go to church together and their kids go to school together!!...even better Keith has a brother in the same town and HIS children see my cousins' kids at school and church.
Keith's nephew went to a prom with my cousins' daughter.
my dad's family goes to church and school with this crowd!!
my kids are missing out on a lot of family time.
That was one of the reasons we went to florida during this trip.
Keith's brother was already there and his sisters and dad and other brother planned to be there.
A big thankyou to cari for watching the Lizard and going to get
more crickets!!
goodnight
c
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Another Week Has Passed
Hey Ladies!!
Thanks for the updates (minus Cari, of course). She is still reading though. I did actually spend the afternoon with Cari last week. It was good catching up. The boys will get together one day this week as well. We had planned on seeing a lot of each other this summer but last week was the first. Once we got our calendars together we realized June was out of the question!! School will be upon us shortly so July seems to be it for this year! My boys don't start back until 8/16 which seems kind of late but I'm not going to argue about it.
Emerson did well in his first week of swim lessons. There are only four boys and the other three are almost always late, so he gets individual attention for about 5 minutes or so each day. Why you would spend $80 on lessons and show up late is beyond me. I heard one mother say it is just hard to get up (the lessons are at 9:45)!! The lessons continue this week as well and I have Carter signed up for a jazz/rock band camp at St. Benedict. We will be spending the mornings in Cordova then go home after dropping Carter off just to go back three hours later. Oh well, the life of living in the boonies!!
I had forgotten Carole was headed for Charleston and texted her to meet us at the drive in on Friday night. She was already headed out of town. We didn't end up going, but did go on Saturday night to see Ice Age. It was actually chilly. Hard to believe after over 100 degree weather previously. I would like the heat wave again myself. Let us know how it went, Carole.
Julie, sorry to hear motherhood is being so hard on you lately. Hope it all works out with Parrish. Where are you considering boarding school? I'm assuming Thane changed jobs or at least territories. Wasn't he in the Atlanta area previously? I had it in my mind you were considering moving back there but that may just be my old mind showing its age. It is refreshing to take vacations away from hometowns. I do not think we will be going to Virginia to visit Jim's family this year. I invited them down here instead and his Mom, Sister, and her two boys came. We had a blast. His sister hadn't been here for 11 years. His Mom came with her husband fall 2009. I just got tired of going there at least once if not twice a year for the last 27 years. Besides, the vacation budget is just about at zero! I am sorry to hear about Todd. Obviously your trips to Atlanta were not vacations. I know what you mean about the death thing. I think it comes with our age (although you are a lot younger than I am). I have just one uncle left plus my Mom to represent my parent's generation and obviously no grandparents, great aunts, uncles etc. Then when you throw in someone as young as Todd it just makes it worse. I think we just have to look at our kids to help us out. I told my boys to live close to each other and have as many kids as they could (perhaps the Catholic school exposure will help on that front) :) I only have two cousins and we are not close. I hope that is not the case for their children. They have quite a few cousins but they are spread out between Texas and Virginia so they aren't close either. Jim's sister's kids are the closest in age and we do see them the most so hopefully they will keep in touch as they get older. Jim and I were discussing how families used to stay in close proximity to each other years ago but that is no longer the case. We blame college. You meet people from different areas and obviously receive opportunities to move other places to be successful so that is what you do. So we're back to spending vacations visiting family instead of finally making it to see the Giant Redwoods in CA. (Oh well, maybe next year).
Keep on Keepin' On!!
Brenda
Thanks for the updates (minus Cari, of course). She is still reading though. I did actually spend the afternoon with Cari last week. It was good catching up. The boys will get together one day this week as well. We had planned on seeing a lot of each other this summer but last week was the first. Once we got our calendars together we realized June was out of the question!! School will be upon us shortly so July seems to be it for this year! My boys don't start back until 8/16 which seems kind of late but I'm not going to argue about it.
Emerson did well in his first week of swim lessons. There are only four boys and the other three are almost always late, so he gets individual attention for about 5 minutes or so each day. Why you would spend $80 on lessons and show up late is beyond me. I heard one mother say it is just hard to get up (the lessons are at 9:45)!! The lessons continue this week as well and I have Carter signed up for a jazz/rock band camp at St. Benedict. We will be spending the mornings in Cordova then go home after dropping Carter off just to go back three hours later. Oh well, the life of living in the boonies!!
I had forgotten Carole was headed for Charleston and texted her to meet us at the drive in on Friday night. She was already headed out of town. We didn't end up going, but did go on Saturday night to see Ice Age. It was actually chilly. Hard to believe after over 100 degree weather previously. I would like the heat wave again myself. Let us know how it went, Carole.
Julie, sorry to hear motherhood is being so hard on you lately. Hope it all works out with Parrish. Where are you considering boarding school? I'm assuming Thane changed jobs or at least territories. Wasn't he in the Atlanta area previously? I had it in my mind you were considering moving back there but that may just be my old mind showing its age. It is refreshing to take vacations away from hometowns. I do not think we will be going to Virginia to visit Jim's family this year. I invited them down here instead and his Mom, Sister, and her two boys came. We had a blast. His sister hadn't been here for 11 years. His Mom came with her husband fall 2009. I just got tired of going there at least once if not twice a year for the last 27 years. Besides, the vacation budget is just about at zero! I am sorry to hear about Todd. Obviously your trips to Atlanta were not vacations. I know what you mean about the death thing. I think it comes with our age (although you are a lot younger than I am). I have just one uncle left plus my Mom to represent my parent's generation and obviously no grandparents, great aunts, uncles etc. Then when you throw in someone as young as Todd it just makes it worse. I think we just have to look at our kids to help us out. I told my boys to live close to each other and have as many kids as they could (perhaps the Catholic school exposure will help on that front) :) I only have two cousins and we are not close. I hope that is not the case for their children. They have quite a few cousins but they are spread out between Texas and Virginia so they aren't close either. Jim's sister's kids are the closest in age and we do see them the most so hopefully they will keep in touch as they get older. Jim and I were discussing how families used to stay in close proximity to each other years ago but that is no longer the case. We blame college. You meet people from different areas and obviously receive opportunities to move other places to be successful so that is what you do. So we're back to spending vacations visiting family instead of finally making it to see the Giant Redwoods in CA. (Oh well, maybe next year).
Keep on Keepin' On!!
Brenda
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
And Summer Continues
So, motherhood is pretty much kicking my ass.
Parrish spends the week with his dad in Massachusetts and works. He is going to go to the alternative high school this fall if he doesn't either go to school in Mass or boarding school. I wish they would make him re-do freshman year, but since he only failed one class they won't. And he failed that class on purpose. Belle is recovering from her tonsillectomy quite nicely and I spend my time driving her to piano lessons, horseback riding, summer tutoring and doctor's appointments. Super fun for me, but she is doing great. She has her best friend Jaden over today (she usually comes over once a week) and they spend time figuring out what their apartment is going to be like when they move out.
So, I am going for the night with a friend of mine to NYC at the end of the month. She wants to see the bodies exhibit (me, I'm kinda meh about it) and I want to eat at this restaurant a kid I used to work with is now cooking at (Empellon Cocina). So, that will be a little mini get away, it's about a four and a half hour drive from here. The family is going to go to Maine to camp for a few days in August. We have lived here almost seven years and I have never been to Maine. I seem to spend all my time in Atlanta. I am going to stop doing that. Todd died at the end of March at home, I was there for two weeks then (before/during/after) and am still kinda in shock from that. I am not sure why I have been around so many deaths at this point, but I am kinda sick of it. Belle and I went in June to stay with Erin for the week and she and she and the boys are doing well.
Brenda, glad you are free from your job. If I may say so, they always seemed to over-work you. I like that you are getting to kick-back and have a more relaxed summer. Carole, saw Corrine's pics! Coolio. Cari, I have no idea what is going on with you, but hope all is well.
Oh, I am editing to add Parrish finally got Thane to watch "Forks over Knives" a few months ago (if you haven't seen it, you can stream it on Netflix) and he has embraced the green smoothie also. As I have started to limit the animal products I eat (I refuse to go vegan...I never want to be that person) I am starting to think I am lactose intolerant because when I do have milk (making lots of ice cream in the Vitamix for Belle right now) I get a stomach ache which I have never noticed before. I do have more energy and feel better eating this way.
Parrish spends the week with his dad in Massachusetts and works. He is going to go to the alternative high school this fall if he doesn't either go to school in Mass or boarding school. I wish they would make him re-do freshman year, but since he only failed one class they won't. And he failed that class on purpose. Belle is recovering from her tonsillectomy quite nicely and I spend my time driving her to piano lessons, horseback riding, summer tutoring and doctor's appointments. Super fun for me, but she is doing great. She has her best friend Jaden over today (she usually comes over once a week) and they spend time figuring out what their apartment is going to be like when they move out.
So, I am going for the night with a friend of mine to NYC at the end of the month. She wants to see the bodies exhibit (me, I'm kinda meh about it) and I want to eat at this restaurant a kid I used to work with is now cooking at (Empellon Cocina). So, that will be a little mini get away, it's about a four and a half hour drive from here. The family is going to go to Maine to camp for a few days in August. We have lived here almost seven years and I have never been to Maine. I seem to spend all my time in Atlanta. I am going to stop doing that. Todd died at the end of March at home, I was there for two weeks then (before/during/after) and am still kinda in shock from that. I am not sure why I have been around so many deaths at this point, but I am kinda sick of it. Belle and I went in June to stay with Erin for the week and she and she and the boys are doing well.
Brenda, glad you are free from your job. If I may say so, they always seemed to over-work you. I like that you are getting to kick-back and have a more relaxed summer. Carole, saw Corrine's pics! Coolio. Cari, I have no idea what is going on with you, but hope all is well.
Oh, I am editing to add Parrish finally got Thane to watch "Forks over Knives" a few months ago (if you haven't seen it, you can stream it on Netflix) and he has embraced the green smoothie also. As I have started to limit the animal products I eat (I refuse to go vegan...I never want to be that person) I am starting to think I am lactose intolerant because when I do have milk (making lots of ice cream in the Vitamix for Belle right now) I get a stomach ache which I have never noticed before. I do have more energy and feel better eating this way.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Hi
Yes , brenda, I will try to keep posting.
We are headed out for a vacation...the first true vacation in a while.
Last yr we made some trips to N.O.,la. did not make any farther.
We are headed to Charleston. Anyone been there? Any good seafood places you know of?
After charleston we are headed to the red neck riviera...(ft. walton, Florida area).
Kevin loved camp and still talks about what they did. ah the life of walking out side your cabin to a pick up game of frisbee.
Corinne like camp too. she seems to really feel comfortable with handling a horse.
the trek to hopkinsville, kentucky ( the land between the lakes area) was RUSTIC!!
old barn barely standing, rows and rows of cornfields. Reminescent of Field of Dreams...if you build it they will come.really nice people. AND she wore her cowboy boots!!
HOT HOT HOT too. we drove up on a sunday...ran across some mennonites whic kinda slowed us a bit. we got to a fork in the road...gravel road vs paved!!
Need to go get ready for work...i open up at 6:30
c
Yes , brenda, I will try to keep posting.
We are headed out for a vacation...the first true vacation in a while.
Last yr we made some trips to N.O.,la. did not make any farther.
We are headed to Charleston. Anyone been there? Any good seafood places you know of?
After charleston we are headed to the red neck riviera...(ft. walton, Florida area).
Kevin loved camp and still talks about what they did. ah the life of walking out side your cabin to a pick up game of frisbee.
Corinne like camp too. she seems to really feel comfortable with handling a horse.
the trek to hopkinsville, kentucky ( the land between the lakes area) was RUSTIC!!
old barn barely standing, rows and rows of cornfields. Reminescent of Field of Dreams...if you build it they will come.really nice people. AND she wore her cowboy boots!!
HOT HOT HOT too. we drove up on a sunday...ran across some mennonites whic kinda slowed us a bit. we got to a fork in the road...gravel road vs paved!!
Need to go get ready for work...i open up at 6:30
c
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Hey Y'all
Wow! It has been forever since I have blogged. Thanks for keeping it going, Carole. Life is good. I LOVE not working. I now regret saying I would check back with them in the fall but then again, the kids will be in school so I would probably run out of stuff to do anyway. June was crazy with traveling and having company. July looks to be pretty laid back so I'm planning on doing a lot of swimming with the kids and fun stuff. Everyone is welcome to come out anytime. Emerson starts swim lessons tomorrow. He can swim underwater, but knows no strokes so that is the plan this year. He is pretty competitive and loves water so we're thinking we will try a swim club for him next year. Once he can swim 25 yards with the designated strokes he can join summer swim club at the YMCA.
Congrats to Corinne on the volleyball. That is great. Jim made Carter do cross country conditioning but after a week and a 1/2 he let him quit. He really hated it but felt obligated to keep going. I didn't realize he was so worried about it. He is a lot happier now. Hard to believe he will be 15 tomorrow. The birthday season is upon us!
Got Carter's classes via email last week. Checked out the book prices since we now have to buy books. $667!! and that is USED books where available. He has a biology book that costs over $200!! I am getting the ISBN numbers tomorrow and checking Amazon and Ebay. The woman down the street will sell me her daughter's books from last year (another reason for the ISBN numbers to make sure they haven't changed). She didn't take honors classes though so it will be limited what she has.
Keep in Touch!!
Brenda
Congrats to Corinne on the volleyball. That is great. Jim made Carter do cross country conditioning but after a week and a 1/2 he let him quit. He really hated it but felt obligated to keep going. I didn't realize he was so worried about it. He is a lot happier now. Hard to believe he will be 15 tomorrow. The birthday season is upon us!
Got Carter's classes via email last week. Checked out the book prices since we now have to buy books. $667!! and that is USED books where available. He has a biology book that costs over $200!! I am getting the ISBN numbers tomorrow and checking Amazon and Ebay. The woman down the street will sell me her daughter's books from last year (another reason for the ISBN numbers to make sure they haven't changed). She didn't take honors classes though so it will be limited what she has.
Keep in Touch!!
Brenda
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